Certification Policy
Which laboratory reports on what, what each report records, and how to check it yourself.
Every Beyond Carat diamond of 1 carat and above is graded by IGI, the International Gemological Institute, and comes with its own IGI report. Every finished piece of jewelry is certified by IJI, the International Jewelry Institute, which identifies every diamond in the piece and records their total weight, colour and clarity. A ring with a centre diamond of 1 carat or more comes with both.
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Which Report Comes With Your Piece
| What you buy | Report | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| A diamond of 1 carat or above | IGI diamond report | That one diamond, graded loose on the 4Cs |
| Any finished piece of jewelry | IJI jewelry report | Every diamond in the piece, graded in the mount |
| A ring with a centre diamond of 1 carat or above | IGI report and IJI report | IGI for the centre diamond; IJI for the finished ring |
| Diamonds under 1 carat (pavé, side stones, most earrings and bands) | IJI jewelry report | Identified and graded together as part of the piece |
The IGI Diamond Report
What it is
IGI, the International Gemological Institute, was founded in Antwerp in 1975 and is the laboratory whose reports you will most often find with a lab-grown diamond. It grades a diamond on its own, out of the setting, which is why the IGI report is reserved for the stones where the grade matters most: every diamond we sell of 1 carat and above.
The report describes one specific diamond. It records the carat weight, colour, clarity and cut grades, along with the stone’s shape, measurements, polish and symmetry, and it states on its face that the diamond was grown in a laboratory.
How the report is tied to the diamond
The IGI report number is laser-inscribed on the girdle, the thin outer edge of the diamond, in characters too small to read without magnification. The inscription does not affect the stone and cannot be seen once it is set. Its job is to bind one report to one diamond, so the paperwork can always be matched back to the stone it describes.
Bottom line: one diamond, one report, one number — and the number is on the stone itself.
Our grading floor
We hold D, E or F colour, VVS or VS clarity and Excellent cut across the whole range. The IGI report is how you confirm the exact grade of your diamond within that floor, in the laboratory’s words rather than ours.
The IJI Jewelry Report
IJI, the International Jewelry Institute, reports on jewelry as finished pieces: rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and necklaces. Every Beyond Carat piece is certified by IJI, and its report number begins IJI-J. Here is what the report records.
- Report number and date
- A unique IJI-J number and the date the report was issued.
- Origin
- Every diamond in the piece is identified, and the origin is stated in words on the front: Laboratory Grown Diamond.
- Shape and cut
- The shape and cut of the diamonds, for example oval or round.
- Total estimated weight
- The combined carat weight of all the diamonds in the piece, estimated in the mount.
- Colour
- A colour range covering the diamonds in the piece, for example D–E.
- Clarity
- A clarity range covering the diamonds in the piece, for example VVS.
- Description
- The article, metal, gross weight and style number of the piece.
- Photograph
- A photograph of the piece itself, on the report and on the online record.
Why colour and clarity are given as ranges
Set diamonds cannot be weighed or turned in the light the way loose stones can. IJI grades them as the mounting permits, so colour and clarity are given as a range that covers every diamond in the piece, and the total weight is an estimate made in the mount. That is the honest way to grade a finished piece, and it is why we pair it with a separate IGI report for any diamond of 1 carat or more.
How the report is tied to your piece
IJI does not inscribe its number on jewelry. Your IJI report is matched to your piece by its description, its style number and the photograph of the piece on the report. The article, metal, gross weight and style number are recorded as declared when the piece is submitted; the report grades and identifies the diamonds, and it is not a test of the metal.
Bottom line: the IJI report tells you what every diamond in your piece is, not just the biggest one.
How to Verify Your Report
A report is only worth something if you can check it with the laboratory that issued it, rather than with the seller who handed it to you. Both of ours can be checked online in under a minute.
- Find the report number. It is printed on the report that comes with your piece. IJI numbers begin IJI-J; IGI numbers are printed on the IGI report and inscribed on the girdle of the diamond.
- Go to the issuing laboratory. IGI reports at igi.org; IJI reports at iji-lab.org/verify.
- Enter the number. The laboratory’s online record shows the grades it issued.
- Compare it with your paper report. The weight, colour, clarity and origin should match. For an IJI report, the photograph on the record should match your piece.
What a Report Does and Does Not Tell You
A report tells you
- That the diamonds were grown in a laboratory, stated in words
- The carat weight, or total estimated weight for a finished piece
- The colour and clarity grades, or ranges for set diamonds
- The shape and cut
- A number you can check with the issuing laboratory
A report does not tell you
- What the piece is worth — reports carry no price and are not appraisals
- Anything about the metal beyond what was declared for the description
- Your ring size or how the piece will fit
- Whether the price you were quoted is fair
Grading is judgment, not measurement. Colour and clarity are assigned by trained graders against master stones under controlled light, so two laboratories can grade the same diamond a step apart. That is why we publish a grading floor across the whole range rather than relying on a single report.
Looking After Your Reports
Keep them with the piece’s paperwork
Keep your reports somewhere safe with your receipt. They are the record of exactly what you bought, and they are the first thing a jeweler, appraiser or insurer will ask to see.
If you return a piece
Every report that came with a piece must come back with it, along with the original packaging. A missing diamond certificate carries a $100 replacement fee. The full conditions are on our returns page.
If a report is lost
The report number stays on record with the laboratory that issued it, so the online record can still be looked up. Call or chat with us, 24/7, and we will help you find your report number and next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every diamond of 1 carat and above comes with a grading report from IGI, the International Gemological Institute. Every finished piece of jewelry is certified by IJI, the International Jewelry Institute, which covers the smaller diamonds set in it.
It depends on its size. A diamond of 1 carat and above is graded on its own by IGI and gets its own report. Diamonds under 1 carat, such as pavé, side stones and the stones in most earrings and bands, are covered on the IJI report for the finished piece.
If the centre diamond is 1 carat or above, yes: an IGI report for the centre diamond and an IJI report for the finished ring. If the centre diamond is under 1 carat, the IJI report covers every diamond in the ring, the centre stone included.
Because the diamonds are graded in the mount. A set stone cannot be turned and viewed from every angle the way a loose stone can, so colour and clarity are given as a range, for example D–E and VVS, covering every diamond in the piece. The total weight is likewise an estimate made in the mount.
No. IJI does not inscribe its number on jewelry. Your IJI report is matched to your piece by its description, its style number and a photograph of the piece on the report. IGI reports work differently: the IGI report number is laser-inscribed on the girdle of the diamond.
Enter the report number at the laboratory that issued it, not on our site. IGI reports can be checked at igi.org, and IJI reports at iji-lab.org/verify. The online record should match the paper report you received.
No. A grading report describes the diamond: its weight, colour, clarity, cut and that it was grown in a laboratory. It carries no price and is not an appraisal or a valuation.
Your report number stays on record with the laboratory that issued it, so the online record can still be looked up. Call or chat with us, 24/7, and we will help. If you return a piece, its reports must come back with it; a missing diamond certificate carries a $100 replacement fee.
Yes. The same 4Cs vocabulary is used for both: colour from D down, clarity from FL down, cut, and carat weight. The report states on its face that the diamond is laboratory-grown, so origin is never left to the seller's word.
Next: IGI vs GIA, the 4Cs of diamonds, and the full FAQ.
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